Production controller and producer NM Badusha has responded to social media speculation linking him to actor Nikhila Vimal’s recent comments about unpaid remuneration, stating that she never named him and that the assumptions were unfounded. Badusha addressed the issue during the press conference held on Sunday to clarify the ongoing controversy involving actor Hareesh Kanaran. When asked about Nikhila’s remarks, which had triggered widespread discussion online, Badusha said his name was being unnecessarily drawn into the matter.

“Nikhila did not mention my name. Whenever there is any comment related to cinema, my name inevitably appears in the social media discussion beneath it,” Badusha said. He added that while he and Nikhila had worked together on four films, he was not the producer of those projects. “I worked on those films as part of the crew. When she says a producer owes her money, that does not automatically mean it was me,” he said.

Nikhila’s comments, made in a recent interview with Cue Studio, had attracted attention after she said that a producer owed her remuneration for three or four films. Without identifying the individual, she mentioned that the person had worked as a production controller and that the dues remained unpaid despite repeated reminders. “A producer based here owes me money. He was working as a production controller. There is pending payment from three or four films. At one point, I even told him that since he is building a new house, he could give me a room there so that I would not have to pay rent,” Nikhila had said. She added that the issue was raised jokingly whenever they met, and that the delay was not due to a lack of funds on the producer’s part.

Nikhila was last seen in Pennu Case, alongside Hakim Shahjahan, which was released on January 10 and opened to mixed reviews.